We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Valentina Gamburd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Valentina, appreciate you joining us today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?

Family businesses can be both a source of great satisfaction and unique challenges. I have firsthand experience with this, as I work for Kalmateh, a business co-owned with my mother and sister, Mariana and Luli. What works well in a family business is the shared passion and motivation for a common goal. The trust and bond within a family can drive a deep sense of commitment, as everyone involved genuinely cares about the idea and success of the business. In our specific case, one of the most significant advantages is our dedication to our brand because it’s not just a business, but also a tradition deep-rooted in our culture. This mutual passion and understanding can lead to remarkable growth of the business. However, working with family can also present some challenges. Family dynamics can sometimes spill over into business, being unable to separate family time from work. It’s essential to create boundaries and maintain a healthy balance between personal life and professional life. Through my experience at Kalmateh, I’ve seen firsthand how working for something that is yours can be extremely rewarding. It’s not only a job, but it’s part of my identity. To conclude, while there may be challenges in working with family, the shared dedication and passion makes the experience unique and extremely fulfilling.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My journey in the world of branding and creative direction began from a lifelong love for storytelling through creativity. From a young age, I’ve been captivated by the power of creativity. This creative passion is the driving force behind my work. I graduated with a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in marketing from Florida International University, where I gained a solid foundation in the principles of marketing and business strategy. With a strong desire to explore the world of creativity further, I embarked on a new chapter in my academic journey by pursuing a master’s degree in Creative Direction, Content & Branding at IE University. This decision allowed me to combine my analytical business knowledge with the art of storytelling, branding and creative direction. This fusion of creativity and strategy empowers me to deliver innovative solutions to my clients. It’s not just about creating visually appealing visuals; it’s about crafting narratives that elicit emotions and resonate with the audience.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building Kalmateh’s social media audience has been a journey! This journey included some moments of frustration but it’s also been a journey of authenticity, patience and passion. I strongly believe that success on social media takes time. It’s crucial not to give up even when growth seems slow. We’ve always prioritized being genuine and posting content that aligns with our beliefs and values as a brand, rather than blindly following trends that don’t align with our industry. Another key component to our social media growth has been partnering with like-minded collaborators. These partnerships expanded our reach but also strengthened the Kalmateh community. Lastly, another important tip is consistency. Consistency is the foundation of building a social media presence. Posting regularly and engaging with your audience is essential to build a sense of community and belonging. Remind yourself that growing on social media is a journey, and when you do everything with passion and purpose, the followers will come!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Maintaining strong customer relationships and fostering brand loyalty is central to our approach. Our customer’s satisfaction has always been our utmost priority, and we achieve this by actively listening to our customers, both their positive and negative feedback. In addition, we place a strong emphasis on building a sense of belonging within our Kalmateh community. This helps create a deeper connection and loyalty among our customers, as well as allows us to get to know our customers on a personal level.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kalmateh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalmateh/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentinagamburd/

Image Credits
@th_estudio